To those of you contenplating relocation to India, my first piece of advice is train for a marathon. You need good stamina for what lies ahead. Luckily I did just that. Running the Mumbai marathon in 30 degree heat is perhaps an unusal method of sightseeing but it was unforgettable. Cheers of "Go Aunty" from the crowd made me realise I clearly wasn't looking my best after 40 odd kilometers but the energizing beats of Bollywood classics kept me going as did the mysterious pace maker whose name I will never know. Mumbai Meri Jan. Of course it didn't irk me at all when I was later asked by a well meaning colleague about which marathon I did, the 6k or the 21k? To which I murmured, err...the whole one and they fell off their seat.
Some of you may wonder what I am actually doing here. Officially I am seconded onto the “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Financing and Development Project” It's a project between the German, British, Japanese and Indian governments along with the World Bank, working with the Small Industries Bank of India (SIDBI) to "strengthen the growth and competitiveness of MSMEs in India and boost their export potential". It's basically a project to help people like autorik wallahs (the person who drives a tuk tuk) reduce their GHG emissions and have access to micro credit to reduce their vulnerability to poverty so they can feed and clothe their families. And what you may ask have I got to do with all of that? Well I am supposed to be contributing 'expertise on sustainability reporting and stakeholder engagement'...
Onto my second piece of advice for those you relocating to India. Do your due diligence properly when choosing somewhere to live. Check if the leafy neighbourhood where you're living has reputation as having 'dog problem'. Yes, it seems Jangpura does, and so at night I endure the chorus of stray dogs arguing with the monkeys, who on an aside have been causing havoc with my landlords flower pots and satellite dish. Also, if you're not a Muslim (or even if you are) and you don't want to roll out of bed straight into morning prayers, don't live next door to a Mosque. A month since I arrived and I am still not used to being woken by the call to prayer over the loudspeaker every morning at around 5 am.
My third piece of advice: Pack some jumpers, if you're intending to stay a winter here. The best part of January was pretty chilly and the fact the houses are meant to keep the heat out not in, doesn't help with temperatures around freezing. I am assured that the winters are a welcome change from the searing summer heat and humidity of the monsoon. For me though it has meant having a little portable heater in my room which I have been switching on first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and wrapping myself up tightly in my wollen embroided shawl (de rigueur in Delhi at this time of year) on the bumpy autorik ride to the office. The seasons in Delhi change in a blink and summer has suddenly arrived. It was pleasurable jogging in Lodi Gardens and taking in the moghul architecture at the weekend in the sunshine.
Another piece of advice is to learn the words in Hindi for 'by (from) the meter' 'meter se' so the auto rik drivers don't rip you off. This sentence in itself is a introduction to the intricacies of Hindi grammar and the 'post position' (yes really, the opposite of a preposition!). I have been using my free time to attempt as yet unsuccessfully to learn the Hindi script. I may be more successful over the long term at Hinglish, of which I have already developed some affection. "I have reached..." is the equivalent of "I have arrived" and before I "take your leave", I'd like to impart one final piece of advice for a beginner...
Prepare to refer to someone as Sir or Maam a lot if they are old school and your senior. Hierarchy is important here and in the professional environment you have to show respect and the fact you know who is boss. Also don't be surprised if the boss has a door bell which he presses to summons the chai wallah for some tea...
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